Walter mckinley



(No Model.)

W. MGKINLEY. FLOUR SIPTER AND SPICE BIN.

No. 443,400. Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

WIZWESSES J.// %%1;/

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VALTER MCKINLEY, OF TREMONT CITY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONEJIALF TO W. .I. \VYANT, OF SAME PLACE.

FLOU R-SIFTER AND SPICE-BIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,400, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed April 23, 1890. Serial No. 349,145. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVALTER MOKINLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tremont City, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flour-Siftersand Spice-Bins, of which the following is a specification, refercnce being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in combination household articles, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which like reference-letters indicate correspond in g parts, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my device with portions of a spice-box broken away to show the interior compartments; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same with the spicebox in section; Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line or as of Fig. 1, showing the preferred form of engagement between the spice-box and flour-sifter; Fig. 4, a partial section on the line y y of Fig. 2, showing the sifter proper and its supporting-guide; Fig. 5, a partial section on the line 5 z of Fig. 1, showing the I relation of the door to the sitter-box, sifter proper, and agitator; Fig. 6, a plan view of the spiral agitator and a sifter proper shown in broken lines; and Fig. 7, an end view of the said agitator.

The letter A represents the rectangular flour-Sifter or the receptacle for the flour formed of any suitable material, as sheet metal, and provided with any suitable cover 13. The bottom is connected by tapering sides 0 to a rectangular sitter-box D. This rectangular shape is easier and cheaper to make than a cylindrical one and easier to connect to the receptacle A.

The Sifter-box D has a door E, preferably located in the front thereof, and having strengthening-beads at thetop and bottom and a rim F at each side to inclose the Sifter-box and keep it from spreading. The door is preferably mounted in said box by inserting its turned-in lower edge G within the door-openin g, on the edge of which it rests by the lower bead, and is held at its upper edge by suitable fastenings II II, which turn down and engage the upper bead. A notched opening 6 is made in the upper part of said door to admit an agitator, hereinafter described.

In the sides of the sitter-box are formed a lateral groove or projections I, extending around three sides thereof and preferably integral with said box. The front side has a turned-up edge I at the same level as the lateral groove.

The sifter proper consists of a rectangular frame having perpendicular sides J and a turned-out rim K, adapted to slidingly fit said grooves I. A wire screen L is attached to this frame to form asemi-cylindrical bottom. The groove and projections I and I prevent the flour from finding its way down between the sifter proper and its inclosing-box. An agitator M is preferably mounted in said sifter proper by passing its axle through the opening 0 0 thereof and through the door of said sifter-box. This agitator consists of a shaft having a crank and handle P formed thereon and supporting a spiral wire Q, occupying a half-circle carried by the radial arms Q, attached to said shaft. If preferred, the agitator may be formed simply by ahalfturn of the screw-spiral bent into the said forms Q Q and an axle portion Rand a crank P, all in one piece, so as to be axially mounted without the middle shaft portion B. This spiral agitator is adapted to rotate in close proximity-to or touching said screen-bottom L in order to facilitate the sitting of the flour through the same.

Among the advantages of the spiral form herein shown may be mentioned that the pressure of the agitator along the screen-bottom is not along one longitudinal line of the same. as would be the case with a simple rectangular or semicircular agitator, but exerts an oblique pressure across the screen, thus allowing it to yield where it comes in contact and exert less resistance to the movement of the agitator. The yielding motion of the screen lessens the wear of the same and reduces the expense of replacing said bottom frequently.

The sifter proper and agitator may be removed from the sitter-box by first turning up the agitator-crank to the upper position. (shown atP' by broken lines in Figs. 1 and 2,) and then turning the fastenings It to one side, thus freeing the door 1C and allowing it to be removed in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. Band 5. The agitatoris then turned to its lower position, as shown by the full lines, and the sitter proper and the agitator may altogether be withdrawn from the sitterbox through the door-opening. This facilimounted on said ilour-reeeptacle, fastened to the receptacle, and having inturned edges forming grooves, in which the outturned edges 0 on the ends of the spice-boxes are adapted to slide. These boxes are divided into convenient compartments by means of partitions and are protected from dust and dirt by covers 0, hinged to the back side thereof. A suffieient space is left between the boxes to allow of throwing up the covers, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.

It is preferred to suspend my device at each side by means of a rod f, rotatably mounted in sockets and extending across substantially the whole side of the receptacle, to which they are fastened by rivets or otherwise.

A loop r is formed, as shown in Fig. 2, by which a cord or hook may be secured to the device; also the position of the loop away from the back edge allows the device to hang perpendieular,instead of tipping forward, as is usually the case when it is suspended by the back edge. This loop may be rotated to its lowcred position and lie flat against the side of the receptacle when not in use. Thus it will be seen that in my combined household article the sieve proper may be laterally removed by sliding it through the door-opening, while the pceuliarityot' the agitator lessens the wear on the screenbottom and may be detached and packed on the inside during transportation.

lv am aware that spice-boxes have been previously applied to flour-sitters, and that a loop-hanger is also old; therefore whilel have shown and described them in connection with my sitter, I do not claim them.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters llatent. is"

In a combination household article, a sitter proper having outturned edges and a semicylindrical sieve-bottom, a spiral agitator occupying no more than half of a circle mounted therein.and asifter-box having lateral grooves adapted to receive the edges of said sitter proper, and also having a side door through which the said sifter proper and the contained agitator may be only laterally removed when the latter is in its lower position.

In testimony whereof I at'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER .ll'tlilN LE Y.

Witnesses:

Zumnx I term, ll. )l. lLAlSlEl). 

